More prison abuse emerges in former abbey

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Another prison abuse incident has been disclosed, this time in the Upper Austrian prison that once constituted Suben Abbey.

According to the Kurier newspaper, a security camera in Suben prison captured footage in May 2013 showing a prison officer beating up a young man from Kosovo who was an inmate in the prison at the time.

The video shows the prison guard step behind the prisoner, grab him around the neck with a headlock, and smash his head against a stone wall.

Falter magazine reports that the prisoner, who had been causing trouble in the prison through instigation of a hunger strike, was also strangled and beaten.

Four other uniformed prison offers stood around during the incident, but did nothing. The prisoner is said to have acted provocatively towards the guards.

From Krone Zeitung it was reported that a doctor had diagnosed several days of severe to moderate pain, but no serious injuries.

The prison guard responsible for the abuse was subjected to an internal investigation, but was never charged with a crime. Instead, he was given a 100 euro fine, and the prisoner was transferred to another prison.

A copy of the tape of the incident has been passed on to a local prosecutor's office for their consideration.

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